It’s another action packed week in the High Definition DVD Race and this week’s report is all about moves that Blu-Ray has been making. Every since HD-DVD Players were a big hit thanks to Toshiba’s $99 black Friday special it’s been pretty quiet on the HD-DVD front. I fully expect to get some news at CES from both camps next month. There’s a rumor going around that Warner Brothers is planning on going Blu-Ray exclusive next year. This would be a big blow to the HD-DVD side, as Warner has been putting out was a big supporter of the format. Personally, I think this rumor sounds ridiculous. Warner has been producing cross platform product for awhile now – 300 and Harry Potter are available on both platforms, but the WB heavily promotes the HD-DVD version and with good reason the features on HD-DVD are much better. WB makes extensive use of the PIP capabilities on HD-DVDs which Blu-Ray vs. 1.0 isn’t capable of. But…
The PS3 has become the first Blu-Ray player to fully support the new 1.1 spec. Thanks in large part to this week’s PS3 2.10 update. This update includes the new Bonus View capability. This allows the playback of supporting content such as storyboards, video commentary and behind-the-scenes clips at the same time as the main movie. As I said a feature Warner uses extensively in their HD titles. Check out Batman, 300, The Matrix, or their latest Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It’s a gimmick, but it’s so much better than listening to the standard commentary track. But before you Blu-Ray fanatics rejoice, know that it’s going to be awhile before 1.1 discs become available. Not only that but folks who own the 1.0 hardware will be screwed as most players aren’t software upgrade-able. Fox Home Video just announced one of the first 1.1 version disks will be the Blu-Ray version of the amazing sci-fi film from Danny Boyle – Sunshine. This week we have a bunch of new Blu-Ray titles including Castaway, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Simpson’s Movie.
Blu-Ray cleaned up at the High Def Awards last week, but how the heck did the Blu-Ray version of 300 beat out the HD-DVD version which had more features and the interactive blu-screen view added a whole new layer to the experience watching the film. Blu-ray titles captured seven of the 11 categories, picked by a panel of critics and bloggers. All high-def discs released since the inception of Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD were eligible. The first-ever High-Def Disc Awards were presented at High-Def 2.0, a one-day conference presented by Home Media Magazine in cooperation with The Hollywood Reporter and the Entertainment Merchants Association.
“We’re delighted,” said Dan Silverberg, vice president of High-Definition Media for Warner Bros. “300 was a huge success at the box office. It’s been a huge success since being released on disc, and it’s gratifying to see it singled out for recognition by the critics and bloggers who selected the winners for these awards.”
Full list of winning Blu-ray titles:
• High Def Title of the Year: 300, Warner Home Video. Blu-ray.
• Best Live-Action Blu-ray: Casino Royale, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Blu-ray.
• Best Animated: Ratatouille, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Blu-ray.
• Best Picture Quality: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Blu-ray.
• Best Long-Form Music Video: Dave Mathews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall, Sony BMG. Blu-ray.
• Best Catalog: Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Blu-ray.
• Best Collection/Multidisc Set: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Blu-ray.
In my Netflix Q this week, I’m checking out Superman: The Movie on HD-DVD, Fast Times At Ridgemont High on HD-DVD and The Breakfast Club on HD-DVD. I’ll let you know how they are next week. Last night I watched The Simpson’s on Blu-Ray, it looked beautiful but a lousy movie. I’ll have a full review this weekend. I realize this week’s report has been completely one sided, so I’m going to get you some dirt on HD-DVD’s next week. But it seems like HD-DVD has lost a little steam in the last few weeks.